


Moments in Time

by makuroshi



Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, OTP Feels, POV First Person, Possible cure to RinHaru fans' broken hearts, because I'm in love with idea of them getting married, some dorky Rin thrown in there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-24
Updated: 2013-09-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 12:35:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/978948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makuroshi/pseuds/makuroshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The irreplaceable moments in time -some sweet and memorable, some painful and heartwrenching- narrated from their point of views. Features some time-skips and portrays how their relationship changed over the course of years. Lots of RinHaru fluff for the broken souls. Two-shots, one from Rin's POV and another from Haru's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments in Time

**Author's Note:**

> It's also available on FanFiction, but I figured why not post it here too.

Love was never something that I believed in. To me, love merely spelled trouble. Why bother shedding tears for someone who didn't even matter? Why go to such great lengths to make someone else happy? I thought that love was something only the weak could understand and experience. And I was definitely not a weak person.

At least that was what I used to think.

The first time I met Haru, I remembered him as the super talented kid who won every single race he had entered. I saw him at the regionals; he was the talk of the town after breaking the tournament's 100m freestyle records. I was a mere second behind the records for 100m butterfly, but that was because I had accidentally swallowed some water in the last 10m. Some even called Haru a prodigy, and after witnessing him in action, I could say that I couldn't agree more. He always had a boring look on his face whenever he wasn't swimming, like nothing in the world had caught his interest, but when he was swimming… Heck, I had never seen anything like it. It was breathtaking, so mesmerizing and beautiful. At that very moment, I thought I just had to get to know him.

And so I did. I moved to his middle school, which happened to conveniently be the same as my late father's. It made it a whole lot easier for me to get a step closer to becoming like my father, and to walk the path he had once trudged on. I joined the swimming club and practically forced Haru into forming a relay team with me, together with Makoto and that brat Nagisa. We made a lot of memories, even going as far as winning the regionals and eventually becoming the best relay team at that time.

Soon enough, I began feeling that the happy moments I spent with Haru were threatening to weigh me down. The main purpose of me coming to Iwatobi was to recreate the memories my dad had. Haru and I were worlds apart when it came to swimming. I had a clear goal in mind, that is, to become an Olympic swimmer. Haru, on the other hand, swam just because he wanted to. That pissed me off, because as much as I hated to admit it, Haru was better at swimming than me but he didn't even have a purpose.

It was so unfair.

Another major problem with Haru was that he always made my heart pound crazily and my face heat up involuntarily whenever he was near me. It was irritating, because all he had to do was give that rare and precious little smile of his and my whole world spun around like I was in some kind of a giant kaleidoscope. My thoughts became messed up and I always felt the urge to hug him and to never let go. It was distracting me from my mission, and I hated that.

One day, when I was visiting my late father's grave, it dawned upon me that I would never move on to each the Olympics if I continued to be with Haru.

So I left for Australia, only to come back 4 years later.

* * *

It was stupid of me to think that I could run away from the painful clench my heart always made at the sight of Haru, because even after being separated for so long, the familiar feeling returned as soon as I saw those brilliant azure orbs staring back at me. Our relationship took a drastic turn from what it was before. Haru wouldn't even hold a conversation with me, let alone smile at me. One thing more upsetting was the fact that Haru had stopped swimming competitively.

What the hell was he thinking, quitting the thing he loved the most?

"Swim for me, Haru."

I wanted to see him swim again. I wanted to remember how it felt watching his elegant moves and his beautiful strokes, how his perfect form glide through the water as he rushed to the platform.

* * *

It came off as a shock -albeit a pleasant one- when I managed to beat him in the 100m preliminary heats. To tell the truth, even though I was confident in my own abilities, I wasn't really expecting it. After all, it was Haru who had been nicknamed 'swimming genius', not me. I was always lagging behind when I was in Australia. The win meant a lot to me. It proved that there was still hope for me to become the best swimmer in place of my father, that I was not that weak or helpless. In the spur of the moment, with my feelings in a state of disarray; unexplained happiness mixed with blazing pride and ego, I said the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"I won, Haru. I'll never swim with you again. Never."

The instant I saw Haru's once glittering blue eyes darkened with gloom and despair upon hearing my insulting words, I immediately realized that I had hurt him. But it was too late. The mocking words my stupid mouth had uttered couldn't be taken back.

I hurt Haru's feelings for the second time, the first being my betrayal, and I doubted he would ever forgive me after that.

Sadly, no matter how much I had regretted my previous actions, no matter how much I craved to hold him in my arms and to tell him that 'I'm sorry, Haru, I was stupid', my pride wouldn't let me apologize. I knew right then that I had grown up to become an egotistical, self-centered bastard, one that was too prideful to admit his mistakes.

It never occured to me that there would still be a chance for me to be with Haru.

* * *

"Rin."

The soft voice calling out to me was unmistakably Haru's, but I refused to look up. How could I show him these wimpy tears streaming down my cheeks? How should I act around him after suffering from the loss in the relay match, against Iwatobi team no less? These humiliating tears shouldn't be allowed to fall so freely; they should only be shed when I was alone, locked away in my room, hiding from the judgmental eyes of the rest of the world.

"Rin, look at me."

Haru's nimble fingers grabbed my chin not too gently, forcing me to look up, and I was greeted with the sight of the face of the person, who was renowned as the most emotionless boy in class, frowning. The deep creases between his brows did not suit him… And was that a _concerned_ look he was giving me?

I didn't need this. I didn't need his sympathy.

"Get lost, Haru. You're the last person I want to see right now."

I swatted his hands away, immediately choosing to stare at the nearby vending machine to avoid the intense gaze. I cursed myself for allowing my voice to crack like that, but it was inevitable as I was trying to hold back a choked sob.

Haru remained silent for a few moments, before finally speaking up, again with that soft and calm voice.

"You're crying."

I was tempted to make the 'Thank you, Captain Obvious' joke I had learnt from the time I was in Australia, but decided against it. Haru was never one to be affected by sarcasm, anyway.

"So what if I'm crying? Why would you care anyway? Leave me alone."

Haru did not reply, nor did he budge from his spot in front of me, so I tried to get up and leave. I was stopped by a fuming Haru grabbing my shoulders and roughly shoving me onto the nearest wall.

Well, that hurt a lot, you little shit.

"Stop running away, Rin!"

"What, you expect me to sit here and sob into your fucking shoulder?!" My tears had stopped completely now, grief and sorrow replaced with anger instead.

"You're a coward, Rin."

"You don't have to rub it in my face, Haruka."

Haru's full name slipped off my tongue, and we both knew that I only called him 'Haruka' when I was really, really angry at him. The last time I used it was ages ago.

"Why did you leave, Rin?" He was asking the same thing I asked myself every single day when I was in Australia. I couldn't answer myself back then, and neither could I right now.

"I told you. I aim for Olympics." It was partially true. I left because I was getting distracted, getting too comfortable mingling with friends and almost losing sight of my goal. I didn't talk about the stupid crush I had on him, though.

"If you had stayed, we wouldn't end up like this."

"Shut up, we're done with this conversation, Haru."

I shrugged his grip off me and grabbed my bag, wanting nothing more than to run away, far far away from all these troubles and mess.

"You have no fucking idea how I suffered for the past few years, Haru." I spat the words at him, more agitated at myself than at Haru. A coward, eh? Maybe that's what I really was.

"You think you're the only one suffering, Rin?"

I had no answer to that, but Haru kept throwing questions at me, his voice rising above his normal range.

"I _quit_ swimming because of _you_. You left me without even bothering to explain why. And you're talking as if you're the victim here."

"Wow, that's a lot of talking you're doing, Haru."

The fuck did he say? He quit swimming because of _me_?

"Do you even know how depressing it felt to be left behind by someone you loved?"

Hah, tell me about it…

Wait, did Haru just talk about someone he loved?!

Oh how I wished it was not just a fragment of my imagination, because that was what it really was, right?

When I turned back and saw the crimson blush adorning Haru's face, obviously embarrassed at his little slip of the tongue, I understood that it was the reality.

Nanase Haruka had just confessed to me. Indirectly, of course, _but still_.

My unrequited love, my secret crush, my long-time rival, had just said that he loved me.

How the hell was I supposed to react to that?!

"Haru, did you just…"

It was his turn to avoid my intense gaze. I was actually more angry than happy upon hearing his confession. I had loved him for _so long,_ hiding these conflicting feelings from every one, making myself scarce from my team mates' lives because I had thought that my stupid emotions would get in the way, and now he's saying that it was not one sided all along? Bullshit.

"You're telling me that you love me now? I loved you first, you asshole!"

Okay, so that came out unexpectedly.

I would never have imagined confessing to Haru and insulting him in the same sentence, but it definitely got my message and feelings across, because Haru pulled me in for a kiss after hearing that.

Our tongues clashed and fought for dominance, and my fingers threaded through his hair as I desperately tried to deepen the kiss. I wanted to kiss him until he died of lack of air. I wanted to monopolize him, to punish him for making me the messed up person I was, to burn the taste of his lips into my memories, just in case I woke up from this dream. Haru broke the kiss first, angry hands grabbing at my hair to pull me away from eating his face.

Quiet gasps and pants filled the air as we tried to catch our breaths. When I opened my eyes and saw his flushed face, I was reminded of the time when I had hurt him with my words, and I felt a pang of guilt. Haru was right, it was my fault. Samezuka's loss was probably karma's bitchy way of getting back at me.

"…I'm sorry."

I never apologize. My big-ass pride could rival the size of the Soviet Union, perhaps even bigger than that. This little apology I'm giving to Haru was a big thing, a signal that something might've changed in me. I couldn't believe I said it, either. Haru looked surprised, but only for a few moments.

"An apology won't do it, Rin." He released his grip on my hair and took a step back.

"Then let me make up for it. Just let me, Haru. Go out with me." I took a step forward, fortitude and determination evident in my voice.

"It's troublesome." He had switched back to his monotonous intonation. I thought of using Nagisa's tactics of persuasion, with those continuous and annoying "Please please pretty please" but no, I wouldn't fall _that_ low. So I resorted to grabbing one of his hands, squeezing it lightly. It was my way of pleading without sacrificing my pride. Haru looked down thoughtfully, staring at our intertwined hands, before looking at me in the eyes again.

"Promise me you won't run away anymore."

"I promise."

* * *

The first few weeks were awkward, mainly because of our lack of experience in relationship. It was sort of a long distance thing because I stayed in Samezuka dormitory and it's a pain in the ass to fill in the agonizing forms to apply for an outing. The wardens would sooner or later notice that I had been 'visiting my sister' a little too frequently. It was really the only excuse I could think of, but I wasn't lying completely because I did visit Gou a couple of times after meeting up with Haru.

We had been at each others' throats for so long that it was a hard feat to get along initially. Our first date was disastrous. Haru insisted on going to the aquarium, damn him and his water, but I wanted to go to the movies. After all, cinemas are dimly-lit and secluded and much more conducive for some hot steamy making out sessions, which was part of my plan.

But the handsome little shit used his devilish charms on me and somehow we ended up at the aquarium.

At first, things were steady and smooth, and Haru even agreed to hold hands. It was like a dream come true, with us walking side by side, fingers laced together and getting lost in our own world.

"Hey, Rin… Over there, that shark looks like you."

I glanced at the way he was pointing and saw a hideous hammerhead shark. I didn't recall having a head as big as that one.

"Out of _all_ the sharks swimming in this tank, you just had to compare me with the ugliest one?"

"It's not ugly… I think it's… cute."

"Anything that lives in water is cute to you."

"Not really. I don't think mackerels are cute."

"That's because you are their number one biggest predator, Haru." I chuckled heartily when he frowned. We watched the sharks for a while before moving on to the open aquariums, the ones you can put your hand into and touch the fishes. That was when things started going downhill.

I was crouching on the floor, peacefully admiring the little colourful guppies, when a nearby kid who was running around accidentally knocked into me. Well, you could've guessed what happened next. I fell into the open aquarium ungracefully, my face first followed by the rest of my body. I was soaking wet, embarrassed under the stares of so many other visitors. It's bad enough that I had humiliated myself in front of my boyfriend, but what's worse was that one of the tiny guppies miraculously got into my underwear.

Needless to say, it was a traumatic experience.

* * *

Our first time was memorable, albeit a tad bit catastrophic. It happened at Haru's house, a few days after I returned from 2 weeks of training camp. We both craved for it badly, but neither of us wanted to be on the receiving end. We had our own arrogance and dignity to uphold, and spreading your legs for another man was humiliating in every sense of it, because it meant that you're submitting, conceding, _surrendering._

Haru was being especially stubborn, what with all the huffing and kicking on the bed, and the sex started out like a wrestling match. When I finally managed to pin him down on the bed, Haru stopped struggling and we stared into each other's eyes; asking, searching and challenging. After moments of intense staring, Haru broke our eye contact and sighed.

"Fine, I'll bottom. Since you're going to cry if I were to top you anyway."

"Are you implying that I'm a crybaby, Haru?"

"I'm not implying, I'm pointing it out. It's the truth."

"Oh, we'll see _who_ is going to cry _tonight_ , alright." A mischievous grin crept onto my face and I gritted the words out, malice and lust clouding my mind. I let my fingers roam over his toned body, exploring the new territory and feeling him tense and shiver whenever I brushed over his sensitive spots. Haru was impossibly sexy that night, so much so that I felt I could come just from seeing his face. Those glazed bluish orbs, the adorable rosy tint on his cheeks and that slightly opened mouth gasping out my name…

"Rin…. Ahhh.. Nghh! T-there!"

"Haru.. Ah..."

"Ri-nnngh.. M-more…"

So I did make him cry on our first time, but he almost made me cry the morning after, too. Those painfully deep scratches he had left on my back ran along my shoulder blades and spine and damn, they hurt like _hell_ when I showered.

Judging from his usual passive and stoic expression, you would've thought that Haru would never be a screamer no matter how good the sex was, but the truth is, Haru was pretty much vocal in bed. No, really. He talked a whole lot more when we were doing it, well, that is if you count those whimpers and moans as talking.

Shit, I'm already getting aroused just thinking about it.

* * *

After graduating high school, Haru enrolled in an arts college for his diploma while I worked as a part-time swimming coach in a nearby swimming school. I was never interested in further studies anyway; 12 years of studying was enough torture for me. Besides, working there meant that I was free to use the pool to practice.

Time flew so quickly that I didn't realize it had been 3 years since we started dating. Don't ask me how we lasted despite the constant fights and arguments, because I honestly had no idea other than the fact that I loved Haru too much to ever let him go.

That year, Haru, Makoto and I were turning 20, and we celebrated our coming of age together at a local city office near our elementary school. Turning twenty is an extremely important milestone in Japanese society, because it signifies the transition into adulthood. The day before the ceremony, the three of us went into a heated argument of whether to wear Western-style suit or the traditional Japanese hakama. I demanded for the suit, mainly because I really _really_ _**really**_ wanted to see Haru in a suit, but Makoto wanted the hakama, saying that it's a precious part of our culture. Haru, on the other hand, insisted on neither because he said that both are 'troublesome'.

By the time we ended our argument, the renting shops had all closed for the day, so we had to resort to wearing hakama. I had none of my own, so I wore my late father's. In the morning before the Coming of Age ceremony, I went to visit his grave.

"Are you listening, Dad? Today I'll become an adult." I placed a bouquet of white lilies on top of the tombstone. Tracing the outline of his ever-smiling portrait, I found myself smiling back.

"Remember when I told you how happy I was that Haru confessed? Well, it's been 3 years, and we're still together." I always did this, pouring my heart out to my dad, hoping that he would be listening. The windy breeze was calming, and if I were superstitious, I would've believed that Dad was responding to me, in a way.

"From now on, I might be an adult, but please continue to watch over me, okay, Dad? I'll become the best swimmer. I will fulfill your dream. _Our dream._ "

* * *

I took one step closer to achieving that dream when I made it through Japan's 2020 Olympic team selection a few months after that. Upon receiving the news, I was overjoyed and thrilled, but was soon disheartened to find out that I needed to move to Tokyo for training sessions. The Olympics would be held in Japan, so we had 4 years to make mental and physical preparations. Moving to Tokyo meant that I would be separated from Haru, and we would be seeing each other much lesser since the training regime would undoubtedly be strict.

"It's okay, Tokyo is not another country." Haru replied when I called him to inform of the news.

"But it's still so far! Sure, we have bullet trains and all, but I'll be busy and we won't—"

"This is your dream, Rin. You worked so hard for this. Just a little sacrifice won't hurt."

I was a bit sad at how nonchalant Haru was regarding this matter, but he had always been the more mature and sensible one. I was the childish one who didn't want to be apart. When Haru sent me off at the train station, Haru had to forcefully pry me off and push me away.

"Don't cry, Rin. People are looking."

"I'm not crying, idiot…"

Haru squeezed my hand reassuringly and gave me a small kiss on the cheek as a parting gift.

"Yeah, yeah… Take care, Rin."

With a reluctant heart, I moved to Tokyo on the summer of our third year together.

* * *

Later I learnt that Makoto made the cut too, and he was listed in the team for backstroke event. Makoto broke the national records of 200m backstroke event last month at his university's swimming competition. One of the national team managers who were there noticed his potential and decided to polish his talent. I had always known that he had it in him, and only needed to push himself further.

At the end of the year, Haru received an offer to study degree in arts in University of Tokyo after completing his diploma. He moved in with me and we stayed in an apartment near the heart of the city. It was really close to my training center and the construction site where they were building the National Stadium. Haru's university was further ahead, but it was still within a walking distance, so on some mornings, we would leave the house together and Haru would walk me to the sports complex before going to lectures. It turned out that Haru was an excellent artist, always at the top of his class and winning numerous awards for his works. One day, he brought home a nicely framed portrait of what looked like a shark, but with wings.

"Is this a flying shark, Haru?" I stared incredulously at the vexing pencil sketch. It was strangely unique and beautiful; I had to admit, but nonetheless puzzling at the same time.

"No. It's a unicorn." Haru said absent-mindedly, already taking out his art equipments and cleaning them in the living room.

"A _unicorn_? I don't see the resemblance, Haru."

"It's just you. My Fine Arts lecturer also believed that it's a unicorn, and she liked it. She said it was very… thought-inducing."

I scrutinized the drawing once again, looking at the background that was portraying a scene in the ocean.

"What's a unicorn doing swimming in the _sea_?!" I asked exasperatedly.

"It fell down from its flight and drowned."

"No, Haru, look at these sharp teeth. It's definitely a shark."

"You have sharp teeth too, Rin. Are you a shark?"

Sometimes Haru would ridicule me like this, but I always had a retort planned in mind.

"I'm only a shark in bed, Haru." I growled out and purred at him. Haru started throwing paintbrushes at me and I ran around the house, laughing at his flustered expression.

* * *

Every day Makoto and I, along with our team mates, underwent excruciating training sessions under the supervision of the national coach. We were mocked, scolded, screamed at and forced to overexert ourselves. There were times when we felt like breaking and crumbling under the immense pressure of representing the country, but at those times, I thought of my father, of Haru and his encouragements and I persevered.

Four years passed by in a flash, and it was time to show the world what we've got. Some of our team mates did not make it past the preliminary rounds, losing to the stronger and much more built swimmers from the Western countries. I was one of the few who made it to the finals; the stress was unimaginable.

The night before the final match, I couldn't sleep. I got up from the bed, careful as to not wake Haru up, and went to the balcony. From there I could see the National Stadium; majestic and astonishing architecture captivating in the heart of Tokyo. It was then that I was grateful for the 2020 Olympics to be held on my home soil. I felt more confident in myself but at the same time more nervous and scared. What if I let them down?

A few minutes later, I felt strong arms encircling my chest and a warm body pressed flush onto my back. It turned out that Haru had woken up, anyway. He had always been a light sleeper. I leaned back into his comforting touch and felt myself relaxing in his embrace.

"Haru… Do you think I can win tomorrow?"

"You can, Rin. And you will."

"If I win the gold medal, what will you give me?"

He went silent, possibly pondering on my question seriously. It was childish of me to hope for cute answers like "I'll give you myself", but hey, Haru can be unpredictable too, you know?

I laced my fingers with his and traced random patterns on the back of his hand. After a few dolphins, stars and heart-shapes later, he finally answered.

"Nothing."

"What?! Why not?!" I was quite sure I looked ridiculous when pouting, but Haru always barked that rare breathtaking laugh of his whenever I did that.

"Isn't the feeling you get when you win satisfying enough?"

"Satisfying? Oh baby, you know only _you_ can _satisfy_ me."

No reaction. Damn it, Haru was already immune to my teasing and sexual innuendo jokes.

But deep down inside, I knew that Haru was right.

* * *

The long awaited moment had arrived, and as I stood on the platform, stretching out my limbs, I thought that this was my chance. I was not going to let it go to waste. I was in the third lane, and though I managed to make it to the top 8, there were two other swimmers whose time records were better than me. Not trying to boast or anything, but I was pretty sure that the bronze medal was already in my grasps. However, my eyes were set on gold, and no Michael Phelps or Chad de Clos were going to take that away from me.

I was the hope of my team, the hope Japan, and most importantly, the hope of my late father.

Fortunately, I had a good start. That Rei brat who was so obsessed with beauty would be green with envy seeing my perfect form as I dived flawlessly into the water. I could vaguely hear the sounds of the crowd cheering and the commentator muttering gibberish into the microphone every time I resurfaced to get some air.

"Go, go Matsuoka!"

"Fight, fight Matsuoka!"

The water blurred around the edges of my vision as I increased my pace in the last leg of the 100m butterfly finals. Strangely enough, though I was swimming in the confines of the pool, I felt free. The tension was still intense, and I still swam with the ultimate goal of winning. But I felt so free, and only then that I finally understood what Haru meant with being one with water.

The finishing line was getting closer and closer, and I put all my strength into my last kick as I approached the end of the lane. When I finally touched the sensor, my head shot up to look at the gigantic scoreboard. Fear and anxiety swirled in my head in that millisecond as I waited… and waited…

'1st: Matsuoka R.'

I made it.

I freaking won the gold medal in Olympics.

"Dad, are you watching me? I won the gold medal! I did it!" I screamed out, a sense of satisfaction washing over me. Thunderous cheers and claps resounded in the stadium.

When I went out of the pool, I was immediately swarmed by my team mates, all of them hugging me tightly as if their life depended on me. The commentator, whose voice I could hear clearly now that I was no longer in the water, was yelling praises and patriotic comments. As soon as I heard him saying "Matsuoka is the first Japanese to ever win a gold medal in 100m butterfly event!", I felt my nose flared in pride. Matsuoka was my dad's surname, too, so in a way, it was as if Dad was the one who won. I felt accomplished, so accomplished that I wanted to cry and break down right there.

_Dad, did I make you proud?_

I broke free from my team mates' suffocating hug with much difficulty when I saw Haru standing at the side, a small smile on his face. He handed a towel and a bouquet of red roses and white hyacinths at me and I accepted them with a wide grin, unable to hide my bliss.

"Haru… I did it, Haru… I won…" I put my arms around him, peppering kisses on his neck and his jaw excitedly. I was almost lost in the midst of the celebration, but then I was reminded that there was something I had to do.

Reluctantly pulling away from the embrace, I signaled to Makoto, who in response immediately came running with a little box in his hand. He patted me on the back and mouthed "Good luck", and I nodded, swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat. I could tell that Haru was still puzzled by this strange act, but I merely smiled, took his left hand in mine and dropped onto one knee. Haru gasped.

"Haru, I know that I'm a jerk, and you probably hated me more than you love me. But I… I just love you so much… and I want to be with you forever…"

With slightly trembling hands, I flipped the purple velvet box open to reveal a silver wedding band inside.

"Nanase Haruka, will you marry me?"

I wanted to smack myself for the lame proposal, but the little speech I had prepared last night flew out of my mind! I was too nervous, damn it!

Apparently it was romantic and appropriate enough, because the whole stadium roared and went wild, camera flashes bathing us with bright lights. At that moment, my loud pounding heartbeat, Haru's stunned face and Haru's hand held in my palm was all I could hear, see and sense.

Time seemed to have stopped. I waited for any reaction from Haru, any at all, as my breath hitched in my throat in anticipation.

Then, Haru smiled.

His lips curved up in the _most beautiful_ smile I had ever seen throughout my 24 years of living, and I felt as if my world had come to a stop. I couldn't precisely recall whatever that had happened after that because I was too overwhelmed with emotions. Relief, affection, adoration, longing, _love._ I embraced him tightly, kissing every single drop of his tears and feeling his thumbs wiping my own tears away. Had it been during other times, Haru would've made fun of me and called me a crybaby, but this time, he kissed the top of my head and wrapped his hands around me, and I had never felt so happy, so safe and _complete._

His softly whispered "Yes" was probably the sweetest music I've ever heard, and I would never trade this moment with anything, not even another gold medal.

If falling in love with Haru made me weak, then I'm willing to be weak for the rest of my life.

* * *

A/N: This was where I planned to end it, but here, have some extra bits of fluff. The tense is changed to present to show that it's current.

* * *

"Hey, Rin. Can I ask you something?" Haru's voice sounds tired. Okay, I probably went overboard last night, but he is too freaking cute that I can't resist wanting to bully him a bit every time we make love.

"Mmm, just say it." My fingers fiddle lazily with his silky black locks, twirling around and brushing off short strands that cover his eyes. He lets out a contented sigh and buries his face in the crook of my neck. I chuckle at the affectionate gesture. Sometimes I still can't believe that Haru had shifted from being my rival, my enemy to my lover and now my husband. Everything is too surreal.

"Back then, if I had said no, what would you have done?" His question comes out slightly mumbled, but I can still hear it. To be honest, I had no backup plan to save myself from the embarrassment of being rejected. It was during _Olympics_ , for god's sake, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, not including the live streaming audience all around the world. If Haru had said no…

"I think I would've carried you and ran off. Sometimes, forceful methods work best, don't you think so?" I grin mischievously at him, flashing my row of sharp teeth in a playful manner.

"You mean you would have forced me into marrying you anyway?" Haru throws an incredulous look at me, blue eyes widened and eyebrows furrowing slightly. God, he's so adorable.

"Of course! I'd make you mine no matter what it takes, Haru- _chan_." I plant a small kiss on his nose to further tease him. He releases his hold on me and leaves the bed, picking up the discarded clothes on the floor. The warmth next to me slowly dissipates.

"Where are you going, Haru?"

"Let's have a race, Rin." Haru's face lights up with unrelenting determination. "I'll show you who your _Haru-chan_ is..." He pauses. " _...Rinrin._ "

"Are you kidding me?! At 2 freaking AM?!"

Some things will never change, like how we seem to compete against each other at almost everything, but I think it's safe to say that I finally beat water to become Haru's number one…

Wait a minute, is that a splash sound I hear?

"Goddammit, Haruuuu!"

…on a second thought, maybe Water and I still have to share Haru's heart.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually teared up halfway while writing this. Hope the OTP feels are strong enough in this one. Haru's POV coming soon.


End file.
